We upgraded our BBQ for Father’s Day this year, and I’m super excited about all of the cooking out we are doing this summer. Everything tastes better when it’s cooked on a grill, from hamburgers and hot dogs to fruit. Today I’m going to share some summer grilling tips to help you get the most out of your BBQ.
Summer Grilling Tips
1. Always start with a clean grill. Take the time to clean your grill after every use, and check to make sure it’s clean before you start cooking.
2. Don’t shock your meat with a temperature change. This is something I learned recently. You want to pull your meat out and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before you pop it on the grill. This will help it to cook more evenly.
3. Stop moving your meat. I’m guilty of this one – I always want to flip it over, push it around, and “check on it” way too frequently. The less you move it, the better. Letting the meat sit on the grate as long as possible will help it to cook through evenly and give you those nice grill marks.
4. Hold the sauce! Not forever, but when you first put the meat on the grill, you don’t want it to be covered in sauce. The more sauce you add for a long amount of time, the more likely the meat will start to char or burn. You can add a dry rub before you grill. If you are going to use a sauce, add it about three minutes before you plan to take the meat off the grill. Then you can add more when you serve, if you like.
5. Let it rest (yes, again). Remember how I told you to let the meat sit on the counter before you grill? Well, you need to do that AGAIN before you cut it. Allow your meat to sit undisturbed and unsliced for 5-15 minutes after you pull it off of the grill to allow the juices to redistribute. The bigger the piece of meat, the longer the rest time. If you’ve never done this before, you will be amazed at how much more juicy your meat is the next time you grill.
Finally, keep safety in mind when you are using the grill. Anytime you are using the grill, you should keep kids and pets at least three feet away. And never leave the grill unattended while cooking.
Happy summer grilling!
Jessica — Mom of Sophie & Jake
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